Click on
each team for the fill class list
and top players
Cincinnati
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Connecticut
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Louisville
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Pittsburgh
|
Rutgers
|
South
Florida |
Syracuse
|
West Virginia
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2006 CFN Big East Recruiting
Rankings
1.
Pitt
The
class is heavy on ... Really,
really good prospects. From elite
recruits like QB Pat Bostick to RB
LeSean McCoy, to big-time talents
like ends Tony Tucker and Myles
Caragein and linebacker Brandon
Lindsey, Dave Wannstedt and his
staff loaded up for the second
straight season. This was the type
of class that makes the rest of the
college football world sit up and
take notice getting a little help
for just about ever spot, and a
major infusion of talent.
The player who'll someday be a
really big deal ... QB Pat
Bostick
The player you might care about
this year ... DT Tommy Duhart
What it all means to the real
world of college football ...
After coming up with the Big East's
best recruiting classes over the
last two seasons, Pitt is on the
verge of being a major player in the
new and improved conference. Now
we'll know if Wannstedt can coach
and develop talent. The players are
there to do some really big things;
there's no excuse for Pitt to not be
a Big East champion at some point
over the next three years.
2. Rutgers
The
class is heavy on ... The lines.
This isn't a huge overall class, but
it's really, really good up front
with a group of tackles, led by
Anthony Davis, that should ensure
the Scarlet Knight front five will
be a dominant force in three years.
The defensive line wasn't ignored
with Jamiel Farrington, Al-Ghaffar
Lane and Desmond Wynn to be among
the league's most dangerous pass
rushers by 2009. DT Wayne Thomas
will be an All-Big East performer
before he's done.
The player who'll someday be a
really big deal ... PK San Dan
Te
The player you might care about
this year ... OT Anthony Davis
What it all means to the real
world of college football ...
Rutgers isn't going away. With the
return of head coach Greg Schiano,
many top east coast players that
would've been locks to go elsewhere
came to Piscataway led by Anthony
Davis, who was rated by just about
everyone as one of the top offensive
tackles in America. Schiano has been
winning with good players. Now he
has great ones.
3. West Virginia
The
class is heavy on ... Skill
players and secondary. West Virginia
has done a relatively quiet job of
cranking out fantastic defensive
backs, and it loaded up with some
good ones led by JUCO transfer Ellis
Lankster and Brandon Hogan for the
corners, and five highly rated
safety prospects that can all move.
Terence Kerns and Jock Sanders are
speed backs who fit the Mountaineer
attack perfectly, while quarterbacks
Charlie Russell and Bradley Starks
are passing talents who'll wage an
interesting battle on the depth
chart until Pat White is done.
The player who'll someday be a
really big deal ... QB Charlie
Russell
The player you might care about
this year ... CB Ellis Lankster
What it all means to the real
world of college football ...
West Virginia has done a fantastic
job of finding the right mid-level
guys to fit the system. Now it's
getting the right next-level guys to
fit the system. Center Gino
Gradkowski isn't some overachieving
grinder, he's a future Rimington
Award candidate to help pave the way
for a slew of offensive talents. In
other words, West Virginia recruited
like the power it is.
4. Syracuse
The
class is heavy on ... The
offensive backfield. The secondary
got the most prospects and the most
attention, but the talent is on
offense where tall passers Cody
Catalina and David Legree might get
chances sooner than later to compete
for a starting job. Doug Hogue is a
tall, lanky speedster who could
instantly upgrades the running game.
The player who'll someday be a
really big deal ... RB Doug
Hogue
The player you might care about
this year ... LB Jermaine Pierce
What it all means to the real
world of college football ...
Considering how lousy the program
has been over the last few seasons,
this isn't a bad class for Greg
Robinson and his staff. There are
big-time prospects at key spots, and
bulk talents elsewhere with several
players to develop. While that's
normally a good plan, Robinson has
to win now or he might not get a
chance to see how these players turn
out.
5.
Louisville
The
class is heavy on ... Skill
stars. Bobby Petrino might have
left, but new head man Steve
Kragthorpe had few problems getting
the top players to keep the
offensive machine rolling. QB Matt
Simms will get time to learn the
system and get his feet wet before
possibly getting into the starting
mix next year, but running backs
Dale Martin and Victor Anderson, and
receivers Josh Chichester and Doug
Beaumont might get in right off the
bat.
The player who'll someday be a
really big deal ... RB Dale
Martin
The player you might care about
this year ... LB Willie Williams
What it all means to the real
world of college football ...
This wasn't a big class, but there
are several very good prospects to
show the program likely won't miss a
beat with Petrino gone. Kragthorpe
and his staff did great things with
marginal players at Tulsa. Now they
get to see what they can do with
some top recruits. JUCO transfers CB
Woodny Turenne and LB Willie
Williams will be big-time from game
one.
6. South Florida
The
class is heavy on ... The
defensive line. Eight very, very
good recruits come in to provide
solid depth right off the bat,
especially in the middle. Once they
get their feet wet, Terrell McClain,
Kyle Dampier, Jeremiah Warren and
Corian Garrison are big, talented
tackles who should give the Bulls
one of their best front fours.
Claude Davis will eventually be a
dominant pass rusher.
The player who'll someday be a
really big deal ... QB Alton
Voss
The player you might care about
this year ... RB Mike Ford
What it all means to the real
world of college football ...
The best recruiting class yet in the
program's relatively brief history,
this haul showed that USF football
should be here to stay among the
better Big East teams. Jim Leavitt
and his staff have gotten the job
done with good players, and now he
has some great ones. RB Mike Ford
and WR Carlton Hill will be instant
thorns in defensive coordinators'
sides.
7. Connecticut
The
class is heavy on ... Offense.
Randy Edsall and his staff set out
to upgrade the dying attack, and did
so with a class that should change
things in a hurry. 6-5, 220-pound
JUCO transfer Tyler Lorenzen will
get every shot to win the starting
job from the time he sets foot on
campus, while 6-4, 220-pound Cody
Endress is the quarterback for the
future. Robbie Frey could help
Donald Brown and the running game
right away, while the hope will be
for at least one of the four average
receiver prospects to shine by 2009.
The player who'll someday be a
really big deal ... LB Jarrell
Miller
The player you might care about
this year ... QB Tyler Lorenzen
What it all means to the real
world of college football ...
UConn came up with a huge class that
needs developing in some areas
(receiver, defensive back) and
should provide immediate help in
others (the passing game,
linebacker), and while this group
can't compare to the Big East's best
classes, it was good enough to keep
the program competitive.
8. Cincinnati
The
class is heavy on ... Numbers.
There might not be any sure-thing
stars, but there are plenty of
prospects at key spots to hope a few
pan out and develop. Four relatively
small, quick quarterbacks were
brought in along with four big
receivers, four offensive tackles,
and in the classes' strength, three
good linebackers. There will be
plenty of competition for spots over
the next few years.
The player who'll someday be a
really big deal ... LB Ricardo
Thompson
The player you might care about
this year ... TE Adrien Robinson
What it all means to the real
world of college football ...
Basically, new head coach Brian
Kelly will do the same things he did
to make Central Michigan a MAC
power, only he'll have a better crop
of players to work with. This is a
class built for the future and the
development of the program, and
while there might not be too much
immediate help, it's not a bad group
considering Kelly came on the scene
in January.